With the launch of the Super Mario Bros. project with Illumination in 2018, Nintendo has set itself a huge challenge! Fans of the mustachioed plumber have been waiting with bated breath for this featurette, especially those traumatized by the 1993 live-action film.
If the challenge of bringing Mario to life on the big screen was already daunting, making him speak was even more so.
In fact, in video games, Nintendo’s mascot expresses itself only in short sentences, onomatopoeias or interjections with a slight Italian accent: “Let’s go”, “It’s me, Mario”, “Here we go”!
Video game fans will know the comedian behind our mustachioed hero’s signature voice. The latter is called Charles Martinet. Despite his French surname, the artist is American. He was born in California in 1955.
The latter has been the official voice of Super Mario in video games for nearly 40 years. He began working for Nintendo in 1987, interpreting Mario at video game art fairs.
The Kyoto firm has installed TVs with Mario faces in 3D. His lips moved at the same time as Charles Martinet’s lips thanks to an avant-garde motion capture system. The actor could see the guests with a hidden camera.
The actor was hired by Nintendo after a somewhat chaotic audition. He came at the last minute and asked to audition, despite the expected departure of the casting. Just an instruction to follow for these tests: “You’re an Italian plumber living in Brooklyn.”.
At first, Charles Martine thought to emphasize the lower timbres of his voice to make it more grating; He then remembers that Mario is supposed to be a character aimed at children and decides to tone down his voice to give him a higher, friendlier tone.
A deluded Kyoto firm offers him a role. He would then go on to collaborate with Nintendo, interpreting various iconic characters: Luigi, Wario, Waluigi, Baby Mario, Baby Luigi and Grandpa Chump.
When Nintendo’s animated film project was announced, Shigeru Miyamoto, the father of Super Mario, revealed the cast of VO… sans Charles Martinet. Chris Pratt was chosen to voice the plumber with a mustache.
However, the Japanese company has not forgotten the legendary voice of Mario from video games, offering Charles Martinet two roles in the film. You can hear it in both VO and VF on the characters of Giuseppe (especially at the beginning of the movie where he plays in the arcade terminal) and Mario’s father.
In the French version, it’s actor Pierre Tessier, known as Ryan Reynolds’ VF, who doubles as Super Mario.
Our Voice with Pierre Tessier
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
